Polyphenylene ether blends containing electrostatically bound additive

ABSTRACT

Compositions of a polyphenylene ether resin, poly(alkenyl aromatic)resins having pendant highly polar ionic groups and additives capable of electrostatic bonding with the polar ionic groups are described. Especially useful as the ionic groups are sulfonate groups and as the additive are antistatic agents. The additives are more stable against losses due to migration, volatilization, washing out and the like, due to the electrostatic attraction to the ionic groups on the poly(alkenyl aromatic)resins.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a division, of application Ser. No. 669,461 filed Nov. 7, 1984,now U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,925, which is a continuation-in-part ofapplication Ser. No. 596,559, filed April 4, 1984, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Many synthetic thermoplastic polymers are poor conductors, ornonconductors, of electricity. A consequence is that after the polymeror a blend of the polymer and other ingredients has been fashioned intoa molded article, coating, film or fiber, electrostatic charges tend toaccumulate on the surface and are not freely dissipated. This isespecially characteristic of polymers having surface resistivitiesgreater than 10¹² (ohms or ohms/square), many of which are commerciallyimportant. Electrostatic charges can accumulate on the surface of thesepolymeric materials to levels equivalent to 20,000 to 30,000 volts. Evenwith lower levels of static build-up, however, many undesirable effectscan still occur. Contact with synthetic materials in automobile seatcovers, floor rugs, clothing, and so forth may create a high staticcharge on a person which, when subsequently discharged by contact with agrounded object, causes an unpleasant sensation of shock. Theaccompanying spark, moreover, can create a serious hazard in flammableor explosive atmospheres, such as found in hospital operating rooms(anesthesia gases) and underground excavations for the mining of ore.

The problem is especially acute in the electronics industry, whererelatively low static charges can result in a catastrophic failure ofsensitive micro-electronics devices, and in the business machineindustry, where paper jam-ups in photocopiers are often directlyattributable to the accumulation of electrostatic charges as the copypaper passes over plastic platens and guides.

Various ways have been proposed in the past for treating at least someof these polymers to make them more dissipative of surface charges. Someinvolve modification of the polymer itself. For instance, Ohya, et al.,in U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,078, have proposed that a more static resistantpolymeric material can be obtained by graft polymerizing a vinyl orvinylidene monomer, such as sodium styrene sulfonate, onto a rubberycopolymer of an alkylene oxide and a conjugated diene. The resultingproduct is said to be blendable with other thermoplastic resins andutilizable in conjunction with conventional antistatic agents. Borman,on the other hand, has disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,259,520 thatpolyphenylene oxide resins can be altered to be antistatic by formingcertain ionic derivatives through nuclear substitution with groups suchas sulfonate groups.

Still other methods involve the formation of blends of antistatic agentswith the polymer. Castro, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,556, teach thata liquid ethoxylated amine such as N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) alkenyl or amixture of alkenyl and alkenyl amines can be admixed with a polymer, forexample, a polyolefin or polyphenylene oxide, to form a homogeneousliquid which can then be cooled to a solid antistatic agent. The solidcan be blended into a polymer to impart antistatic properties.

Baron, et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,779, disclose that certainbis-ethoxylated quaternary ammonium salts of paratoluene sulfonic acidare useful as antistatic agents for various synthetic polymers,including polystyrenes, polyesters, polyamides, polycarbonates,polyolefins, and ABS resins.

Abolins and Katchman have found that an antistatic agent based on amixture of triethanolamine, toluene sulfonic acid and sodium laurylsulfate, is an effective additive for polyphenylene ether resins andblends. This discovery is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,475.

Japan Pat. No. 47-22474 discloses that certain metal salts of asulphonated vinyl aromatic compounds, for example, sulphonatedpolystyrene, are useful as antistatic agents for polymeric materials.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,341,882 describes blends of polyphenylene ether,polystyrene and an antistatic agent which can be a styrene-allyl alcoholcopolymer, an anionically polymerized poly(ethylene oxide) and acombination of both.

More recently, Luxon has shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,384,063 that theantistatic behavior of N,N-bis-(2-hydroxyethyl-N-octyl-N-methyl ammoniumpara toluene sulfonate (also identified in the above mentioned Baron, etal. patent as methyl-octyl-bis(2-hydroxyethyl) ammonium para-toluenesulfonate), is enhanced in a polyphenylene ether resin blend when usedin conjunction with a small amount of a polyethylene glycol ester.

Polymer blends modified by the addition of antistatic compounds based onamines often suffer from certain deleterious effects, however. Theadditive can often be removed from the surface of a molded part bysimply rinsing with water or a non-aqueous solvent, and this detractsfrom the surface antistatic behavior. In the case of some polymers wheremigration of the additive to the surface occurs, the antistatic effectmay return after only several hours or days. For other polymers,however, examples of which are polyphenylene ether resins andpolystyrenes, the antistatic behavior recovers much more slowly, and maynot fully return for several months. Moreover, many antistatic amineshave poor compatibility with the polymer, a result of which is that onlysmall amounts of the additive will be tolerated. The latter phenomenoncan present the following dilemma. On the one hand, the use ofconcentrations of additive above the threshold of compatibility may leadto processing difficulties during injection molding. Typically, this ismanifested by extruder screw slippage as a result of lubrication fromexcess (incompatible) amounts of the additive, and by erratic moldingcycle times. On the other hand, the relatively small amounts of additivedictated by these processing requirements necessarily limits theantistatic performance of the molded article.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention provides, in one aspect, compositions of (a) apolyphenylene ether resin, (b) an alkenyl aromatic resin having highlypolar ionic substituents, or groups, appended to the polymer chain, and(c) one or more property modifying additives which are electrostaticallybound to component (b) through the charged substituents.

The aforementioned substituents, which are characterized by a highcharge density, will also be referred to in this disclosure as"ionomeric" substituents.

The compositions of this invention are capable of tolerating largeramounts of the additives than previously possible while avoiding theaforementioned problems usually associated with them, due to theelectrostatic attraction between the additive and charged pendant groupsof the alkenyl aromatic resin. More specifically, the additive is moreresistant to being washed out, and processing difficulties such as screwslippage and erratic molding cycle times are sharply reduced or entirelyeliminated.

Another aspect of the invention comprises articles molded from thedescribed blend compositions of (a), (b) and (c).

Still another aspect involves articles molded from blends of (a) and(b), with (c) being applied on the surface of the article.

Notably, the present invention extends not just to antistatic agents,but also to the use of any additives or types of additives capable ofelectrostatic attraction to component (b).

This invention is especially efficacious for a number of reasons. Forinstance, the properties of electrostatic decay and ultraviolet (UV)light degradation are, for the most part, surface effects. The meltblending of an antistatic agent or UV stabilizer into the resin matrixnormally requires much more active ingredient than otherwise necessaryif the additive were confined merely to the surface of the moldedarticle. In practice, the additive, being more or less uniformlydistributed throughout the bulk of the molded article, is mostly wastedbecause only that amount actually on the surface is useful to achievethe desired result. Thus, the majority of the additive is spent inneedlessly filling up the interior of the molded article. These agentscould, of course, be topically applied to the resin but, in the normalcase, they subsequently would tend to be easily rubbed or washed offduring normal use. With the present invention, the ionic groups on thepoly(alkenyl aromatic)resin tenaciously bind the additive, e.g.,UV-stabilizer or antistatic agent, to the surface of the article,preventing or minimizing its removal. The invention thus permits use ofthe additive either as an ingredient incorporated in the resin matrixitself, or safely applied to and affixed on the surface of an articlemolded from the matrix.

Good melt flow is another important property in the case ofpolyphenylene ether resin molding compositions. The property is oftenmeasured as channel flow length, with longer lengths representing bettermelt flow. Flow improvements are conventionally obtained by the additionof plasticizers which are typically dispersed throughout the resinmatrix. Unfortunately, such improvements are all too often accompaniedby decreases in the heat distortion temperature of the moldedcomposition, making the moldings more susceptible to effects such aswarpage and the like when exposed to above normal temperatures. Thus,many commercial molding compositions represent a compromise, fallingsomewhere between as high a heat distortion temperature as possible, onthe one hand, and as long a channel flow as possible, on the other hand.Heretofore, one could rarely optimize both properties.

Increased melt flow is a highly sought after property. Longer melt floweasily translates into reduced cycle times, lower pressures, lowertemperatures, and reduced equipment costs, and concomitantly, increasedproductivity, lower energy costs and reduced capitalization.

With the present invention, melt flow enhancing additives such asplasticizers manifest an improved combination of high melt flow and highheat distortion temperature, apparently again due to the electrostaticinterfacing between the aforementioned pendant ionic groups and theplasticizer.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Preferred polyphenylene ether resins for use as component (a) arehomopolymers or copolymers having units of the formula ##STR1## in whichQ, Q', Q" and Q"' are independently selected from the group consistingof hydrogen, halogen, hydrocarbon radicals, halohydrocarbon radicals,hydrocarbonoxy radicals and halohydrocarbonoxy radicals; and nrepresents the total number of monomer units and is an integer of atleast about 20, and more usually at least 50.

These resins are, in general, self-condensation products of monohydric,monocyclic phenols produced by reacting the phenols with oxygen in thepresence of complex metal catalysts, with the molecular weight beingcontrolled by the reaction time, longer times providing a higher averagenumber of repeating units. Particular procedures are known to thoseskilled in the art and are described in the patent literature, includingthe Hay and Stamatoff patents mentioned above.

Suitable phenolic monomers include but are not limited to:2,6-dimethylphenol; 2,6-diethylphenol; 2,6-dibutylphenol;2,6-dilaurylphenol; 2,6-dipropylphenol; 2,6-diphenylphenol;2-methyl-6-ethylphenol; 2-methyl-6-cyclohexylpheonol;2-methyl-6-ethylphenol; 2-methyl-6-methoxyphenol;2-methyl-6-butylphenol; 2,6-dimethoxyphenol; 2,3,6-trimethylphenol;2,3,5,6-tetramethylphenol; and 2,6-diethoxyphenol.

Some of the polymers which can be produced and which are within theabove formula are: poly(2,6-dilauryl-1,4-phenylene)ether;poly(2,6-diphenyl-1,4-phenylene) ether;poly(2,6-dimethoxy-1,4-phenylene)ether;poly(2,6-diethoxy-1,4-phenylene)ether;poly(2-methoxy-6-ethoxy-1,4-phenylene)ether;poly(2-ethyl-6-stearyloxy-1,4-phenylene)ether;poly(2,6-dichloro-1,4-phenylene)ether;poly(2-methyl-6-phenyl-1,4-phenylene)ether; poly(2,6-dibenzyl-1,4-phenylene)ether; poly(2-ethoxy-1,4-phenylene)ether;poly(2-chloro-1,4-phenylene)ether; poly(2,6-dibromo-1,4-phenylene)ether;and the like.

Also included within the above formula are copolymers prepared frommixtures of phenolic monomers. Special mention is made of those based onthe reaction of 2,6-dimethylphenol with other phenols, for example, with2,3,6-trimethylphenol or 2-methyl-6-butylphenol, to produce thecorresponding copolymer, for example,poly(2,6-dimethyl-co-2,3,6-trimethylphenol),poly(2,6-dimethyl-co-2-methyl-6-butylphenol), and so forth.

Especially preferred for use in this invention are homopolymers havingalkyl substituents in the two positions ortho to the oxygen ether atom,that is, those of the above formula in which Q and Q' are alkyl, andparticularly alkyl having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms. Most preferred ispoly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether).

The polyphenylene ether resin may also be used together with otherpolymers in the present kinds of blends, for example, with aromaticpolycarbonates, polyesters, polyamides, poly(vinyl chlorides) and soforth. Particularly preferred are poly(alkenyl aromatics), for example,polystyrene, which are essentially non-ionomerized, that is, devoid ofthe aforementioned ionic substitutents mentioned above with respect tocomponent (b). Examples of such suitable poly(alkenyl aromatics) aredisclosed in Cizek, U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,435. Amounts ranging from 99:1to 1:99, stated as a weight ratio of these two polymers, are permissiblefor use in this invention.

Component (b) is, as explained, a polymer which contains highly polarpendant ionic substituents, that is, substituents having a high chargedensity.

The ionomeric substituents are preferably strongly acidic or stronglybasic groups, most often acidic, or salts thereof. Examples are sulfonicacid (which are most preferred), phosphorous acid and quaternaryammonium base groups and their salts which are stable at the processingtemperatures of the compositions of this invention.

Examples of suitable acid salts are those of metals, ammonium,alkylammonium, phosphonium and alkyl phosphonium. The metal salts areillustrated by alkali metals, alkaline earth metals and zinc. Typicalbasic salts are the chlorides, bromides, sulfates, sulfonates, andphosphonates.

Component (b) is preferably an elastomeric polymer or a polymer that hasbeen modified with a rubber, any of which will serve to upgrade theimpact resistance of the composition after molding. Preferredelastomeric polymers are those having a carbon atom backbone, includingbut not limited to natural rubber; synthetic diene rubbers, e.g.,polybutadiene and polyisoprene; butyl rubbers; polyisobutene rubbers;ethylene-propylene rubbers; ethylene-propylene-diene rubbers;chloroprene rubbers, and others known in the art.

Especially preferred for component (b), however, are elastomertic co-and terpolymers or rubber modified homopolymers based alkenyl aromaticcompounds of the formula ##STR2## wherein R¹ and R² are selected fromthe group consisting of lower alkyl or alkenyl groups of from 1 to 6carbon atoms, and hydrogen; R³ and R⁴ are selected from the groupconsisting of chloro, bromo, hydrogen and lower alkyl of from 1 to 6carbon atoms; R⁵ and R⁶ are selected from the group consisting ofhydrogen and lower alkyl or alkenyl groups of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms,or R⁵ or R⁶ may be concatenated together with hydrocarbyl groups to forma naphthyl group.

Examples include rubber modified high impact polystyrene (HIPS),styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) rubber, styrene-butadiene (SBR) rubber,linear, graft and radial teleblock copolymers of styrene and butadiene(or of styrene and isoprene), styrene-acrylonitrile-butadiene (ABS)terpolymers, and so forth.

Component (b) may also be an elastomeric polymer having a heterobackbone, that is, containing more than one element in the polymerchain. Such elements may include, for instance, carbon, oxygen, nitrogenand silicon. Illustrative of these polymers are polyurethanes,polyethers and polysiloxanes.

Ionomerization of component (b) to add the ionic substituents, orgroups, may be carried out using methods known in the art. For example,sulfonate groups may be incorporated by reaction of the polymer withsulfonating agents such as sulfur trioxide or acetyl sulfate, or in thecase of an addition polymer by polymerizing a monomer system whichincludes a sulfonated monomer such as sodium styrenesulfonate.Quaternary ammonium groups may be introduced by nitration followed byreduction and quaternization; phosphonic acid groups by nitration,reduction, formation of a diazonium salt (e.g., the fluoroborate),reaction of the salt with phosphorus trichloride, and hydrolysis.

In general, the degree of ionomerization is dependant on the amount ofadditive(s) to be added to the composition. It is necessary only toincorporate enough ionic groups to satisfactorily compatibilize theadditive, but adding an excess amount of groups is not precluded.Typically, the degree of ionomerization of component (b) is about 0.1 toabout 10 mole percent.

For component (c), any conventional additive or combination of two ormore additives may be selected which are electrostatically attracted tothe ionic groups of component (b) dispersed throughout the blend. Thesame or similar effects of electrostatic bonding should be exhibited,whether the additive functions as a conductive antistatic agent, a colorstabilizer, an ultraviolet light stabilizer, plasticizer, and so forth.Special mention is made, however, of additive compounds having an aminefunctionality, and especially quaternary or tertiary amine antistaticagents.

Especially preferred are antistatic compounds such as described in theabove-cited Baron, et al. patent, having the formula: ##STR3## in whichR is alkyl of from 4 to 18 carbon atoms, unsubstituted or substitutedwith halo or aryl.

Most preferred for use in this invention ismethyl-octyl-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium para-toluene sulfonate (thecompound of the above formula where R is octyl), which is also termedN,N-bis-(2-hydroxyethyl)-N-octyl-N-methyl ammonium para-toluenesulfonate.

Relative amounts of (a), (b) and (c) can vary widely in accordance withthis invention. For instance, the blends can comprise from about 5 toabout 95 parts by weight of component (a) and from about 95 to about 5parts by weight of component (b), with component (c) bein present inconcentrations of from about 1 to about 15 parts by weight for each 100parts of (a) and (b) combined.

The preferred embodiments of this invention will be formulated inaccordance with the following:

    ______________________________________                                        Ingredients        Amount, Parts by Weight                                    ______________________________________                                        Polyphenylene oxide                                                                              about 27.8 to about 50.0                                   Non-sulfonated polystyrene                                                                       about 64.8 to about 21.4                                   Sulfonated polystyrene, (b)                                                                      about 4.6 to about 17.9                                    Antistatic agent, (c)                                                                            about 2.8 to about 10.7                                    based on a total of 100 parts of (a), (b) and (c)                             together.                                                                     ______________________________________                                    

The compositions may be prepared for molding by forming a dry admixtureof the ingredients, which is then extruded and injection molded into ashaped article. As mentioned, depending on requirements the additive maybe included in the blend or coated on the surface of the blend aftermolding.

Various types of articles may be produced and, in general, the samekinds known to be prepared from engineering resins and plastics ingeneral. By way of illustration, the blends of this invention may befabricated into personal care products, such as hair dryers and haircurling irons; household articles, such as clothes irons, coffee makersand food processors; interior panels and exterior grilles and decorativetrim for automobiles; housings and internal component parts, e.g.,guides, in computers or business machines; TV or radio cabinets; and soforth.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

The invention is illustrated in the examples below, which are intendedfor instructive purposes and is not meant to be limiting. Amounts arestated in parts by weight. Static decay was measured using an ETS Model406B Static Decay Meter, in accordance with Federal Test Method 101B,without conditioning.

EXAMPLE 1

The compositions shown below were prepared by mixing the ingredients,passing the mixture through a twin-screw extruder at 540° F., coolingthe extrudate and chopping it into pellets, and injection molding thepellets into test pieces using an injection temperature of 450° F. and amold temperature of 150° F.

The test results (antistatic behavior is expressed as "static decaytime") are reported in Table 1.

                  TABLE 1                                                         ______________________________________                                        INGREDIENTS        1        1A*     1B*                                       ______________________________________                                        Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene                                                                  50       55      50                                        ether) resin                                                                  High impact rubber modified                                                                      35       45      25                                        polystyrene resin                                                             Isopropylated triphenyl phosphate                                                                 8       10       8                                        flame retardant/plasticizer                                                   Tridecyl phosphate 0.5      0.5     0.5                                       Zinc oxide          0.15     0.15    0.15                                     Zinc sulfide        0.15     0.15    0.15                                     Erucamide          --       1.5     --                                        Polyethylene       1.0      --      1.5                                       Polyethylene glycol                                                                              0.5      --      --                                        Methyl-octyl-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)                                                                  5        3      --                                        ammonium para-toluene sulfonate                                               (Hexcel 106-G antistatic agent)                                               Nopcostat 2152 P   --        1      --                                        Sulfonated polystyrene                                                                           15       --      25                                        (4 mol % sulfonation)                                                         Static Decay Time                                                             5000 VDC to ground at 15%                                                     rel. humidity, 23° C.                                                  (1) As molded          1.0      20    No                                                             sec.     sec.  decay                                   (2) After water wash   1.0      No    N/A                                                            sec.     decay                                         (3) After isopropyl    1.0      No    N/A                                         alcohol wash       sec.     decay                                         (4) After automatic    0.1      No    N/A                                         dishwasher cycle   sec.     decay                                         ______________________________________                                         N/A = not applicable, no further testing necessary                            *comparison experiment                                                   

Comparison 1A was included because 3 parts by weight of Hexcel 106G isusually regarded as the upper limit usable without encountering severeprocessing difficulties as previously described. Comparison 1B wasincluded to show the effect of using the sulfonated polystyrene withoutan antistatic additive. As can be seen, the test sample of Example 1, inaccordance with the invention, is clearly superior.

As is shown, while the Comparison 1A test sample decays a 5000 VDCcharge to ground potential in the as molded state, no static decay wasobserved after it was washed with water, with isopropyl alcohol, andwith detergent in a dishwasher. This no decay condition was observed,moreover, for five minutes, after which the test was discontinued.Comparison 1B was even worse. It would not decay an induced staticcharge even in the as molded (unwashed) condition. The test sample ofExample 1, on the other hand, decays a static charge in the as moldedcondition in only one second, and this ability is unaffected by washing.Moreover, even though it contained more than 3 parts of Hexcel 106G, itwas found to be easily processable on the standard injection moldingequipment used.

EXAMPLES 2-5

The ingredients listed in Table 2 were melt blended on a 28-mmWerner-Pfleiderer twin-screw extruder using a melt temperature of 540°F., followed by molding into test samples on a 4 ounce capacity Newburyinjection molding machine with 450° F. front/450° F. rear/450° F.nozzle/100 rpm/150° F. mold settings.

The channel flow data was collected at 500° F. for all of the testsamples. The injection pressure was 10,000 psi. The melt viscosity wasmeasured using an Instron capillary rheometer at 282° C.; the capillaryhad diameter of 0.050 inch and a length of 1.0 inch. Heat distortiontemperature data was determined using 21/4 inch×1/2 inch×1/8 inch testbars. The results are shown in Table 2.

                  TABLE 2                                                         ______________________________________                                                                                Con-                                                  2    3      4      5    trol                                  ______________________________________                                        Ingredients                                                                   Poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene)                                                                50     50     50   50   50                                  ether resin                                                                   High impact, rubber modified                                                                    40     40     40   40   40                                  polystyrene resin                                                             Isopropylated triphenyl                                                                         10     10     10   10   10                                  phosphate                                                                     Polyethylene glycol                                                                             1.5    1.5    1.5  1.5  1.5                                 Tridecyl phosphate                                                                              0.5    0.5    0.5  0.5  0.5                                 Zinc oxide        0.15   0.15   0.15 0.15 0.15                                Zinc sulfide      0.15   0.15   0.15 0.15 0.15                                Sulfonated polystyrene                                                                          10     10     10   10   10                                  (4 mol % sulfonation)                                                         Hexcel 106-G (as in Table 1)                                                                    2.5    5.0    7.5  10   0                                   Properties                                                                    Injection channel flow length,                                                                  18     N/A    26   N/A  14                                  inches at 500° F.                                                      Melt viscosity, 282° C./                                                                 1214   917    707  551  1728                                1500 sec.sup.-1                                                               Heat distortion temp., °F.                                                               203    207    206  203  207                                 (264 psi)                                                                     ______________________________________                                    

As is shown, the melt viscosity of the composition decreases and,concomitantly, the channel flow length increases with increasing amountof Hexcel 106G, which functions here as a plasticizer. These propertieswould be expected for a plasticizer. However, it is noteworthy thatthere is virtually no decrease in the heat distortion temperature, evenwith amounts of Hexcel 106G as high as 10 parts, which is totallyunexpected.

All of the above mentioned patents are incorporated herein by reference.

Other modifications and variations of the invention are possible. Itshould be understood, therefore, that changes may be made in theparticular embodiments shown which are within the scope of the inventiondefined in the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. An article molded from a thermoplastic compositioncomprising:(a) a polyphenylene ether resin, alone, or with anotherthermoplastic polymer, and (b) an alkenyl aromatic resin having pendantpolar ionic groups thereon, said article having on the surface thereof(c) a layer of one or more property modifying additiveselectrostatically bound to pendant polar ionic groups of component (b).2. An article according to claim 1, in which component (a) comprises apolyphenylene ether resin and a poly (alkenyl aromatic) resin.
 3. Anarticle according to claim 1, in which the polyphenylene ether resin ispoly (2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) ether.
 4. An article according toclaim 1, in which the polar ionic groups are selected from the groupconsisting of strong acid groups, strong basic groups and salts thereof.5. An article according to claim 1, in which the ionic groups arecomprised of a quaternary ammonium salt.
 6. An article according toclaim 1, in which component (b) comprises units of the formula: ##STR4##wherein R¹ and R¹ are selected from the group consisting of lower alkylor alkenyl groups having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and hydrogen; R³ andR⁴ are selected from the group consisting of chloro, bromo, hydrogen andlower alkyl of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R⁵ and R⁶ are selected from thegroup consisting of hydrogen and lower alkyl or alkenyl groups of from 1to 6 carbon atoms, or R⁵ and R⁶ may be concatenated together withhydrocarbyl groups to form a naphthyl group.
 7. An article according toclaim 1, in which component (b) is rubber modified.
 8. An articleaccording to claim 7, in which component (b) is rubber modifiedsulfonated polystyrene resin.
 9. An article according to claim 1, inwhich (c) is an antistatic agent.
 10. An article according to claim 1,in which (c) is an ultraviolet light stabilizer.
 11. An articleaccording to claim 9, in which (c) is of the formula: ##STR5## in whichR is alkyl having from 4 to 18 carbon atoms, unsubstituted orsubstituted with halo or aryl.
 12. An article according to claim 11, inwhich component (c) comprises methyl-octyl-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)ammonium-para toluene sulfonate.
 13. An article according to claim 1,comprising from about 5 to about 95 parts by weight of (a) and fromabout 95 to about 5 parts by weight of (b), based on 100 parts of (a)and (b) combined.
 14. An article according to claim 1, including a flameretardant agent in the composition of (a) and (b).
 15. An articleaccording to claim 14, in which the flame retardant agent isisopropylated triphenyl phosphate.
 16. An article according to claim 1wherein component (b) is a sulfonated polystyrene resin.